Piloting a Sequential, Multiple Assignment, Randomized Trial for Mothers with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Their At-Risk Young Children.

Parental attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with suboptimal parenting and reduces the effectiveness of child ADHD treatments. We conducted a Pilot Sequential, Multiple Assignment, Randomized Trial (SMART Pilot) to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of sequencing medication and behavioral treatments for mothers with ADHD to target outcomes, including maternal ADHD, parenting, and child ADHD symptoms/impairment in multiplex ADHD families. Thirty-five mothers with ADHD and their 5- to 8-year-old child with ADHD symptoms were enrolled.

Targeting Functional Impairments in the Treatment of Children and Adolescents with ADHD.

The diagnostic criteria for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) require both symptoms and impairment to be present. Impairment in functioning is commonly the primary reason for referral, and is also a better predictor of long-term outcomes than ADHD symptoms. And yet, only recently has research begun to examine the impact of ADHD treatments on functional impairment using efficient and psychometrically sound outcome measures.

Skills Versus Pills: Psychosocial Treatments for ADHD in Childhood and Adolescence.

Although side effects and family concerns are common and long-term medication adherence is low, stimulant medications are a front-line treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Psychosocial treatments include classroom, family, and child-focused interventions that teach caregivers and teachers how to implement contingencies to shape behavior and provide children with skills to compensate for ADHD deficits. Such programs have a growing evidence-base and can be implemented alone or in conjunction with pharmacological treatments.

The Children's Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Telemental Health Treatment Study: Caregiver Outcomes.

The Children's Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Telemental Health Treatment Study (CATTS) tested the hypotheses that children and caregivers who received guideline-based treatment delivered through a hybrid telehealth service delivery model would experience greater improvements in outcomes than children and caregivers receiving treatment via a comparison delivery model. Here, we present caregiver outcomes. 88 primary care providers (PCPs) in seven geographically underserved communities referred 223 children (ages 5.

Topical Review: ADHD and Health-Risk Behaviors: Toward Prevention and Health Promotion.

Across the lifespan, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with increased health risk behaviors including substance abuse, binge eating and obesity, and unsafe sexual behavior. These risks are directly linked to the neurocognitive deficits associated with ADHD, and are also mediated by the cascade of psychosocial impairments and stressors caused by ADHD across development. However, little is known about optimal approaches to improve health outcomes in this high-risk population.

An exploratory study of the combined effects of orally administered methylphenidate and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on cardiovascular function, subjective effects, and performance in healthy adults.

Methylphenidate (MPH) is commonly prescribed for the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and is often used illicitly by young adults. Illicit users often coadminister MPH with marijuana. Little is known about physiologic and subjective effects of these substances used in combination.

Effects of the Family Bereavement Program on academic outcomes, educational expectations and job aspirations 6 years later: the mediating role of parenting and youth mental health problems.

Experiencing the death of a parent during childhood is associated with a variety of difficulties, including lower academic achievement, that have implications for functioning in childhood and adulthood. This study examines effects of the Family Bereavement Program (FBP), a preventive intervention for parentally-bereaved youth and their caregivers, on grade point averages (GPA), educational expectations and job aspirations of youths 6 years after the intervention. A total of 244 bereaved youths ages 8-16 and their caregivers were randomized to either the FBP or a comparison group that received books about bereavement.

Stimulant treatment of ADHD and cigarette smoking: a meta-analysis.

Background And Objective: Individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have a significantly higher risk of cigarette smoking. The nature of the relationship between smoking and psychostimulant medications commonly used to treat ADHD is controversial. Our objective was to examine the relationship between stimulant treatment of ADHD and cigarette smoking by using meta-analysis, and to identify study and sample characteristics that moderate this relationship.

Caregiver responsiveness to the family bereavement program: what predicts responsiveness? What does responsiveness predict?

The study developed a multidimensional measure to assess participant responsiveness to a preventive intervention and applied this measure to study how participant baseline characteristics predict responsiveness and how responsiveness predicts program outcomes. The study was conducted with caregivers who participated in the parenting-focused component of the Family Bereavement Program (FBP), a prevention program for families that have experienced parental death. The sample consisted of 89 caregivers assigned to the intervention condition in the efficacy trial of the FBP.

Long-term impact of prevention programs to promote effective parenting: lasting effects but uncertain processes.

This article reviews findings from 46 randomized experimental trials of preventive parenting interventions. The findings of these trials provide evidence of effects to prevent a wide range of problem outcomes and to promote competencies from one to 20 years later. However, there is a paucity of evidence concerning the processes that account for program effects.

Quality of social relationships and the development of depression in parentally-bereaved youth.

Fear of abandonment has been found to be associated with mental health problems for youth who have experienced a parent's death. This article examines how youth's fears of abandonment following the death of a parent lead to later depressive symptoms by influencing relationships with caregivers, peers, and romantic partners. Participants were 109 youth ages 7-16 (50% male), assessed 4 times over a 6-year period.